Material-feeding apparatus



c. o. KNuuTl ET A1. 1,717,787

June 18, 1929.

uArEnIAL FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Doc. 15, 1927 .mi m J9 i A L; fb f/ f/y/ 4@ fw Patented .lune 18, i929.

UNITED STATES 1,717,787 @PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES OTTO KNUUTI AND CHARLES EDWIN NELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS- SIGNORS T WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' MATERIAL-FEEDING APPARATUS.

This invention relates to material feeding apparatus, and more particularly to 1mprovements in apparatus for continuously feeding parts to rotary material forming 5 members.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an improved apparatus of simple and inexpensive constiuction for rapidly and efficiently feeding parts to a material working apparatus.

In accordance with the general features of the invention there is provided in one embodiment thereof a toothed cam member actuated by a rotary forming mechanism and operating through levers to cause a reciprocable member to rapidly feed metal blanks from a magazine. In one specific embodiment of the invention a circumferential arrangement of cam or ratchet teeth is provided at an end of one of a pair of rotary formers and cooperate with a spring actuated pawl. .A magazine retains a supply of blanks which are successively fed between the rotary formeis by a rapidly reciprocating member actuated by the pawl through a pivoted lever and a link connected therewith.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodinient thereof, reference being` had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a rotary forming machine equipped with a feeding device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 44-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures,

the numeral 1() designates generally the framework of a forming machine having two rolls 11 and 12 for forming or shaping blanks of metal fed therebetween. The roll 12 has connected thereto a ratchet or cam wheel 13 which actuates a pawl 14 pivoted to the framework 10 at 15. Peripheral teeth 18 of the ratchet wheel 13 are designed to successively engage a pin 16 secured to the pawl 14, and as each of these teeth 18 is Serial No. 240,122.

moved into engagement with the pin 16 upon clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel, Fig. 2, the pawl will be rotated on the pivot 15 in a clockwise direction. The pawl 14 carries a pin 20 at its lower end which supports one end of a link 21, the other end of the link being connected to a pin 22 carried by the lower end of a lever 23 secured to a horizontal shaft 24, rotatably mounted within the frame 10 of the forming machine. The upper portion of the lever 23 has a slotted connection with a pin 28 secured to a reciprocatory blank feeding member 29. A lever 31 spaced from and parallel with the lever 23 is secured at its lower extremity to the shaft 24 and is provided with a slotted connection for a pin 32 secured to the feeding member 29 (Fig. 3). It will thus be apparent that the feeding member 29 will be horizontally reciprocated in response to the actuation of the levers 23 and 31 operatively associated on opposite sides thereof. A guide 35, secured to the frame 10 by screws 36, is provided with guideways 37 (Fig. 3) to receive and guide the inner eX- tremities of the pins 28 and 32 carried by the feeding member 29. From the foregoin it is to be understood that these ways 3% serve to guide the feeding member 29 during the reciprocation thereof. A magazine 39 is designed to retain a supply of blanks 40, and it will be clear from Fig. 2 that jwhen the feeding member 29 is carried to the extreme left position, the lowermost blank within 'the magazine will be carried downwardly by gravity into a position immediately in front of the feeding member 29, and upon the forward movement of the feeding member the positioned blank will be advanced or fed into position between the rolls 11 and 12. Strips 41 located on the opposite edges of the guide 35 serve to maintain the proper lateral alignment of the blanks as they are advanced by the feeding member 29 to the rolls. A spring 42 connected to a pin 43 projecting from the frame 1() functions to normally hold the levers 23 and 31 and the feeding member 29 connected therewith in the retracted position indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 2. Assuming that the feeding member is in the retracted position just mentioned and that the ratchet wheel 13 is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows shown in Fig. 2, it will be apparent that the ratchet or cam teeth 18 will engage the pawl pin 16 and cause the levers 14, 21 and 23 to be movedinto the position indicated by the dotand dash lines. It is to be understood that during the 'reciprocation of the feeding member 29 the lower surface portion of the magazine 39 serves to prevent the upward displacement or tilting of the member. Vhen the feeding member 29 reaches the advanced position as described, the pawl pin 16 will have been removed, through the action of Wheel 13, to the outer portion of the associated tooth 18, and at this point the spring 42 interposed between the fixed pin 43 and the lever 23 Will cause the immediate retraction of feeding member 29. VOontemporaneously with the retraction of the member 29 the pavvl Will be rotated to bring the pin 16 into position to be subsequently engaged by the next following tooth. F rom the foregoing it Will be clear that a plurality of reciprocations Will be experienced by the feeding member 29 during each complete revolution of the Wheel 13, and the blanks Will thus be successively fed between the rolls 11 and 12 as each tooth 18 is moved into engagement with thepavvl pin 16.

In the operation of the described apparatus continuous rotation may be imparted to the rolls 11 and 12 by any suitable means (not shown) connected with a drive shaft (1-5 which carries the roll 12 and the Wheel 13, a pair of idler gears 47, and gears 48 and 419 being employed to transfer power from the driven shaft to the roll11. By havingthe Aperipheral cam or ratchet teeth and paivl arrangement the feeding member 29 is rapidly and positively carried into successive engagement With the lovvermost blank Within the magazine 39, and thus this invention provides a very convenient and effectively operable means for positively and continuously feeding parts to a material Working means, such as'4 an apparatus equipped with the forming rolls 11 and 12.

Although the invention Ahas herein been described in connection with a particular type of forming mechanism especially useful in form-ing parts from flat blanks, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of many other applications and modifications and therefore should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. In material feeding apparatus, a reciprocable feeding member, a rotatable member having a plurality of peripheral teeth, and

a paWl for engagement therewith to effect a complete reciprocation of the feeding member during the engagement of each tooth with the paWl.

2. In material feeding apparatus, a reciprocable feeding member, a rotary actuating means having a plurality-of peripheral cam surfaces, a pavvl for engagement with the cam surfaces, an actuating lever engaging the feeding member, and a member connecting the actuating lever with the pavvl.

3. In material feeding apparatus, a reciprocable feedingmember, resilient means Lfor moving the feeding means in one direc- .ing material to rotary forming members, a

magazine for retaining blanks of the material, a guide, a reciprocable member slidable within the guide for transferring the blanks to the forming member, a ratchet wheel attached to one of the rotary forming members, a pawl actuated by the ratchet Wheel, and means connecting the paWl With the reciprocable member. f

6. In a material feeding apparatus, a reciprocable feeding member` an oscillatory pivoted member, a. rotatable member having` a plurality of similar peripheral cam surfaces, resilient means for maintaining the pivoted member in contact With the cam surfaces, and means connecting the pivoted member with the feeding member.

'i'. In an apparatus for successively feeding material to rotary forming rolls, a cam member mounted integral with one of the forming rolls, a pivoted member oscillated by the cam member, anda. feeding member rcciprocated a plurality of times by the pivoted member during each rotation of the cam member.

In Witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 3rd day of December A. D.,

CHARLES OTTO KNUUTI. CHARLES EDVIN NELSON. 

